R65LS steering yoke removal

[ozR65LS]

Hi all,
I'm brand new to this forum and writing from Queensland, Australia. A few years ago I bought a '81 R65LS in OK shape - had to put new front discs on it and a few other things. I love riding it and it's one of the most comfortable bikes I've riden. I've had a few cruisers (Triumph Thunderbird, Yamaha XVS650) and now have a Triumph America as my 2-up bike. I'm starting to do a few long overdue jobs on the BMW and one of those is new steering head bearings. I do OK with tools so no novice there by have run into a major issue with the steering yoke. Most of you will know the R65 has a steering yoke cap bolt that holds the top yoke to the stem, different to /5's and others. My problem is mine is frozen solid - probably 40 years of corrosion. I have used heat/cold to expand the yoke then freeze spray or ice to try to contract the bolt. I've tried an impact wrench, manual impact driver, looong breaker bar... So far, no luck. My Haynes manual is not much help, and hours of internet searches have not seemed to uncover a viable solution. So I'm putting a call out to the collective expertise here. My questions are.. Is this s common issue with this model? I can see how it can be and if/when it comes apart and I put new bearings in I'll put rubber plugs in both ends (the bolt has a 10mm hex hole that goes right through the bolt). Any other thoughts on solutions? Any suggestions greatly appreciated. It is entirely possible I have this all wrong as this is my first BMW but far from my first set of steering head bearing. Please don't tell me it's LH thread...

Cheers.

[barryh]

It's not LH thread but they are notoriously difficult to undo. To start with the torque spec is high, from memory something like 80ftlbs or more, then the surface area under that large cap head screw causes stiction even without much in the way of corrosion When I did mine I used a high quality 10mm bit and a 4ft power bar, it let go with a mighty crack. Obviously have the tank off and pad anything in the way should the bit snap before the screw moves. An impact wrench might be the other way to go.

I used some anti-seize when I put it back particularly under the scew cap area then used 20% less torque to compensate. I've had it off again since and it was somewhat easier.

[ozR65LS]

Thanks Barry. Torque is 82ftlbs by the book so you’re right there. Agree with your use of anti seize. Good to know I’m not alone with this problem. A longer breaker bar and a bigger hammer might be in order. Cheers

[SteveD]

@equipo5

[equipo5]

Ample WD40, Bayer 1200 watt impact wrench (sydney tools) for the allen key bit and irwin 18 inch heavy duty pipe wrench - (Bunnings ) plus old fork tube for leverage for the round bit.

[Rob Frankham]

Ample WD40, Bayer 1200 watt impact wrench (sydney tools) for the allen key bit and irwin 18 inch heavy duty pipe wrench - (Bunnings ) plus old fork tube for leverage for the round bit.

WD40 is a water dispersant, it does have some penetrating and lubricating qualities but, unless you have no choice, a proper penetrating fluid is a much better bet.

Rob

[ozR65LS]

Thanks Rob,. I've been using RP7 but I've seen a lot of talk about inox. I've never used it or their other products. My Dad always swore by Penetrine because the solvents don't evaporate. Any preference based on experience/knowledge? Especially from those working in mining or other fields where components tend to seize due the harsh environment.

[Kurt in S.A.]

I like AeroKroil, but I watched a couple of videos on penetrant effectiveness some time back...seemed interesting especially the approach. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/xUEob2oAKVs

https://youtu.be/st8dkGzJWtg

Kurt in S.A.

[ozR65LS]

Thanks for the links. Interesting info.
Cheers

[Rob Frankham]

I like AeroKroil, but I watched a couple of videos on penetrant effectiveness some time back...seemed interesting especially the approach. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/xUEob2oAKVs

https://youtu.be/st8dkGzJWtg

Kurt in S.A.

Hmm... the thing I get from those tests is that none of the solvents used makes a difference outside the bounds of random scatter. Perhaps the most significant think is that, in the first test WD40 performs well whereas in the second test, it actually performs worse than the control.

What this suggests to me is that the tests are not, in fact, very useful and the conclusions drawn aren't conclusive at all.

Rob